Cavs disappoint, underachieve in NBA playoffs and must adapt, evolve in offseason
CLEVELAND — Emotions were understandably raw after the 2024-25 Cavaliers season ended, and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell wore them on the sleeve of his hoodie.
'Y'all gonna write us the [expletive] off, man,' Mitchell told reporters to end his postgame news conference. 'But we'll be back. We let the city down. Let each other down. We'll be back. Thank you.'
Advertisement
Then Mitchell struck the door of the media room on his way out. It's appropriate for him to be frustrated, upset and angry because the Cavs were not expected to be knocked out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second consecutive season. He gave it everything he had but became stuck in a familiar spot.
As the East's No. 1 seed, the conference finals were supposed to be the floor for the Cavs. Instead, they were worn down physically and mentally by the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers and suffered a season-ending 114-105 loss in Game 5 on Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena.
It was a must-win scenario for the Cavs, and failing to defend their home court against the Pacers for the third time this postseason culminated in a 4-1 defeat in the best-of-seven, second-round playoff series.
The Cavs were banged up in the series, but the elite transition offense, full-court defensive pressure and physicality of the Pacers were much more significant factors in the outcome.
Advertisement
Cavs playoffs: Cavaliers Game 5 recap, highlights as Cleveland's season ends vs. Indiana Pacers
Some other harsh truths are …
The Cavs fired coach J.B. Bickerstaff and replaced him with Kenny Atkinson last offseason, only to finish this season in the exact same place as last — Game 5 of Round 2. The Cavs fell 4-1 to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals a year ago while Bickerstaff's team also dealt with injuries.
Mitchell signed a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension with the Cavs in July, essentially betting the franchise had everything in place to help him advance beyond the second round for the first time. Mitchell has been to the playoffs in all eight of his NBA seasons. The wait continues for him to get out of Round 2.
After going 64-18, the Cavs became just the fourth team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in the regular season and not advance past the second round of the playoffs, according to ESPN.
With the Celtics on the ropes as they face a 3-1 series deficit against the New York Knicks, the East is wide open, but the Cavs didn't earn the right to have a crack at capitalizing.
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson argues a first-half call with referee James Capers in Game 5 against the Pacers in the second round of the NBA playoffs, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers changed coaches and ended up in the same place. They must make roster changes after playoff run ended sooner than expected
This offseason, the Cavs can't afford to stand pat.
President of basketball operations Koby Altman chose roster continuity last summer and thereby banked on a coaching change elevating the Cavs. Despite their offensive improvement in the regular season and Atkinson winning NBA Coach of the Year, a deeper playoff run didn't materialize.
Altman took a swing at the Feb. 6 trade deadline by acquiring De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Caris LeVert, forward Georges Niang, three second-round draft choices and two pick swaps.
Advertisement
In 2025, Altman must continue to take shots at altering player personnel because the Cavs need something different to get over the second-round hump. The playoffs have exposed their flaws two years in a row with two different quality coaches at the helm. Bickerstaff, now with the Detroit Pistons, finished runner-up to Atkinson in NBA Coach of the Year voting.
Darius Garland (facing) hugs Donovan Mitchell after the Cavaliers' season-ending Game 5 loss in the second round of the NBA playoffs, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland.
Will the Cavs keep the core four intact after falling to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals?
The core four of Mitchell, All-Star forward Evan Mobley, All-Star point guard Darius Garland and center Jarrett Allen led the Cavs to a 16-win improvement in the regular season compared with their 48-34 finish in 2023-24. The Cavs also ranked first in offensive rating (121) and eighth in defensive rating (111.8) in the 2024-25 regular season a year after they were 16th in offensive rating (114.7) and seventh in defensive rating (112.1).
Advertisement
Yet, the NBA playoffs and regular season are vastly different, and not all parts of Cleveland's nucleus are ready to take the next step when it matters most.
Mitchell said he'll go to bat for all of his Cavs teammates, and his support is among the reasons he's a great leader. What became abundantly clear, though, is Mitchell needed more help from the rest of the Cavs than they gave him against the Pacers.
Cavs season ends: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Game 5 instant reaction in NBA playoffs
A season in which Mitchell focused on empowering Mobley, Garland and other teammates to promote their development wrapped up with the Cavs reliant on Mitchell to a fault, even as he pushed through calf and ankle injuries. He scored a game-high 35 points in his final outing of the season after entering the day listed as questionable to play with a left ankle sprain.
Advertisement
'We have a window with this group,' Mitchell said. 'I believe in everybody in here. We believe in each other. That's what sucks, man. It's just we're a good team. And for five, four games, three games, we didn't show, you know, what we're capable of. And ultimately, that's what we're judged on.'
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hugs Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley after Game 5 in the second round of the NBA playoffs, May 13, 2025, in Cleveland.
The futures of Mitchell and Mobley are not in doubt. Whether Altman will decide Garland and Allen should both stay is a question at the forefront again.
And even if Altman keeps the core four intact, he shouldn't run it back with virtually the same roster for the second season in a row. The supporting cast ought to be modified.
Advertisement
Atkinson explained the Cavs needed to be mentally stronger and better equipped physically for the high-intensity pace of Indiana, which advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive season. The Cavs will lean on Atkinson's background in player development to aid the mission, but it alone won't be enough. Players who fit the profile are required to avoid more of the same.
'I do feel like we got better and from a team aspect, and then we had a lot of individuals make a step,' Atkinson said. 'So I just want to make that clear. But the truth of the matter is we didn't get to the level we wanted to get to. So we're not pleased with that, and we're not celebrating the season.'
The Cavs disappointed and underachieved.
Now they must adapt and evolve.
Advertisement
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs roster needs change to get over hump in NBA playoffs
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
14 minutes ago
- CNN
NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title
The 2025 NBA playoffs have been ones to remember with shock results, historical big comebacks and the traditional heavyweights struggling. And at the end of a thrilling postseason, it is two teams with vastly different stories in the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will face off in the best-of-seven series for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the chance to lift aloft a championship banner in their home arena. Both have had grueling journeys to reach this spot, so here's everything you need to know. The NBA Finals begin with Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City with the Thunder having home-court advantage because of their better regular season record. All games will be broadcast on ABC. Here's the full NBA Finals schedule: · Game 1: Pacers @ Thunder, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 2: Pacers @ Thunder, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET · Game 3: Thunder @ Pacers, June 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 4: Thunder @ Pacers, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 5 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 6 (if needed): Thunder @ Pacers, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 7 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET The Thunder's and Pacers' route to the NBA Finals couldn't have been more different. The Thunder spent the majority of the regular season atop the Western Conference standings and were many peoples' picks for the title. They are led by this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and have a deep rotation filled with productive role players who have stepped up in the biggest moments. On the other hand, the Pacers had a good but not great regular season, not challenging for the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and even having a sub-.500 record in January. Yes, they have two elite players in Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but causing a stir in the latter stages of the NBA postseason was on nobody's playoffs predictions. But here we are. Both teams had to endure their ups and downs throughout the playoffs. The Thunder went to a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals and experienced a 42-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals before their star-power shone through. The Pacers, meanwhile, have made big comebacks a part of their DNA, shocking the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round in five games before coming through a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Knicks which became an all-time classic, such was the level of drama in most games. While the Thunder are many people's favorites to earn their first NBA ring since moving from Seattle, in particular with home-court advantage – they had a league-best 43-7 home record this season – Indiana has made the impossible possible throughout the postseason. And led by head coach Rick Carlisle – who coached the Dallas Mavericks to a shock NBA title victory over the heavily-favored Miami Heat in 2011 – nothing is off the cards. Throughout the postseason, the two Finals contenders have homed in on what makes them successful. For the Thunder, it is their elite defense while for the Pacers, it is their explosive offense. OKC's deep rotation is full of capable defensive players, highlighted by their two All-NBA Defensive team stars – Lu Dort on the first team and Jalen Williams on the second. But even outside of those, they have contributors who have had big moments this playoffs. Chet Holmgren has provided key blocks at certain points and Alex Caruso turned into a key defender of three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in the Nuggets series. On the other side, Indiana has made a high-scoring offense a key part of its game. Most of it revolves around Haliburton, with his pin-point passing able to set up his teammates in good spots while Siakam provides a physical presence inside. Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game this postseason as Indiana has outgunned many of its opponents; in the 2025 postseason so far, the Pacers are 12-0 when they score 114 or more points but 0-4 when they don't hit the mark. 'When you get to this point of the season, it's two teams and it's one goal and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,' Carlisle said. 'And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long – with capital letters in the word 'dominant.' 'Defensively, they're historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It's two teams that have similar structures, slightly different styles.' The fate of this year's NBA title might revolve around one end of the court and whether Indiana can break down a stout OKC. The NBA Finals could be defined by the two star guards on display – Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Haliburton for the Pacers. Both were traded away from their first teams – Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers and Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings – but have blossomed with their new teams. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's MVP this season, beating out Jokić for his first award, after leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. The 26-year-old is arguably one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the NBA at the moment, but it has been a long road to get to this point. 'It's been a roller coaster,' Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this week. 'I had nights where I thought I wasn't good at basketball, had nights where I thought I was the best player in the world before I was. It's been ups and downs. My mentality to try to stay level through it all really helped me. Once I figured that out, I really saw jumps in my game.' He added: 'All the moments I got, like, cut, traded, slighted, overlooked. But also all the joy, all the things that my family has comforted me in, all the life lessons. Everything that's turned me into the man and the human being that I am today.' It's been a similar journey for Haliburton, who had played second-fiddle in Sacramento to De'Aaron Fox. His trade to Indiana allowed him to express himself, and it's seen him turn into one of the best playmakers in the NBA. 'This is a franchise that took a chance on me, saw something that other people didn't see in me,' Haliburton said of the Pacers. 'Sometimes, I think they saw more in me than I saw in myself.' That doesn't mean he's universally loved around the league though, with The Athletic conducting an anonymous survey of NBA players who voted Haliburton as the league's most overrated player. Though his play and game-winners this postseason have surely changed some of those opinions. For the Thunder or Pacers to have any chance of winning this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it will likely rest on their star guards' shoulders to get them to the finish line.
San Francisco Chronicle
33 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Finals things to know: Shai nearing a milestone, and don't expect close games
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to make a whole slew of history in these NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City star is the first reigning MVP who'll play in the finals — they start Thursday night when the Thunder play host to the Indiana Pacers — since Golden State's Stephen Curry in 2016. He could become the first player to win a scoring title and an NBA title in the same season since Shaquille O'Neal did it for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999-2000. And sometime in Game 1 or Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander will likely hit another milestone. He comes into this series with 2,960 points this season — officially, anyway, more on that in a second — between the 82-game regular-season slate and now the postseason. With 40 more points, he will record the 25th instance of a 3,000-point season when combining the regular season and the playoffs. The most recent to do it was Luka Doncic, who had 3,005 points for Dallas last season. If the NBA Cup championship game counted statistically, which it doesn't, Gilgeous-Alexander would only need 19 more points for 3,000. He had 21 in that OKC loss to Milwaukee at Las Vegas in December, but those points don't count toward his season total. Michael Jordan had 10 seasons with at least 3,000 points, Wilt Chamberlain had five and nine other players — Bob McAdoo, Elgin Baylor, James Harden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Rick Barry, Shaquille O'Neal and Doncic — have one. Last year, it was Oshae Brissett for Boston and AJ Lawson, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dwight Powell for Dallas. This year, it's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort for Oklahoma City, along with Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard for Indiana. 'I played against Andrew when I was 9 years old,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'It's been an amazing journey. To see him having success, my own success, obviously Lu's success, Ben's success, it's special. It's hard to even wrap your head around. ... For us to make it to this stage, is a testament to our hard work, our character, people around us that helped us get here. It's been a blessing. It's been super fun.' Dort said he hopes Canadians enjoy seeing four of their own in the finals. 'Obviously we represent our teams here,' Dort said. 'But at the end of the day we represent our country as well.' And it's certain that Montreal will get a title: Dort and Mathurin are both from there. 'I think it's a great opportunity for me, Lu, the whole Montreal city,' Mathurin said. 'I think it's a great step in the right direction just to be able to go against each other. You know, Lu's a great friend of mine. I would call him brother right now, but we're enemies.' Finally, the finals, for James Johnson Indiana's James Johnson has been in the NBA for 16 seasons. He has played for 10 different franchises. He has played under 11 different coaches. He has finally made the NBA Finals. Johnson came close in 2019-20, starting the season with Miami — which wound up making the bubble finals that season. But Johnson was part of a three-team trade about a month before the pandemic hit and ended up in Minnesota. 'Getting here now means that I was fortunate enough to be on a team of guys that only want winning," Johnson said. "I was fortunate enough to join a team of guys that just want to win — and they want to win by any means necessary.' Where are the close games? The last time Indiana's Rick Carlisle coached in the NBA Finals, every game was basically decided at the end. All six games of the Dallas-Miami series in 2011 were decided by 10 points or less. Since then, those games are rare. Out of the last 73 NBA Finals games, starting with the 2012 Heat-Thunder matchup through last season's Boston-Dallas series, the average margin of victory has been 12.4 points per game. There hasn't been an instance of more than three consecutive single-digit finals winning margins in that stretch, and 45 of the 73 games have been decided by at least 10 points. And there have been only six games in the last 12 finals decided by three points or less — while 10 have been decided by 20 points or more. Record drought between overtimes There hasn't been an overtime game in the NBA Finals since Game 1 of the 2018 series between Golden State and Cleveland. The seven-year drought and counting without a finals overtime game is the longest in NBA history. There was a six-year stretch from 1984 through 1990 without an OT finals game, but never seven — until now. The division champion quirk If Oklahoma City wins the NBA title, it will mark the 13th time in the last 14 seasons that a division champion has wound up winning the finals. The only exception in that span was Golden State in 2022. Before that, the last team to not win their division but win the NBA title was Dallas in 2011 — coached by current Indiana coach Carlisle. Playoff pool totals The Thunder and Pacers are playing for the NBA championship, the Larry O'Brien Trophy and about $5 million. Technically, $5,002,359. That's what one team will get added to its share of the league's annual playoff pool by winning the NBA Finals this season. The total pool this year, which will be divided by the 16 playoff teams, is $34,665,698. The Thunder have already secured no worse than $7,418,145 from the pool. The Pacers have secured at least $6,160,260. ___
Fox Sports
43 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Finals things to know: Shai nearing a milestone, and don't expect close games
Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to make a whole slew of history in these NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City star is the first reigning MVP who'll play in the finals — they start Thursday night when the Thunder play host to the Indiana Pacers — since Golden State's Stephen Curry in 2016. He could become the first player to win a scoring title and an NBA title in the same season since Shaquille O'Neal did it for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999-2000. And sometime in Game 1 or Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander will likely hit another milestone. He comes into this series with 2,960 points this season — officially, anyway, more on that in a second — between the 82-game regular-season slate and now the postseason. With 40 more points, he will record the 25th instance of a 3,000-point season when combining the regular season and the playoffs. The most recent to do it was Luka Doncic, who had 3,005 points for Dallas last season. If the NBA Cup championship game counted statistically, which it doesn't, Gilgeous-Alexander would only need 19 more points for 3,000. He had 21 in that OKC loss to Milwaukee at Las Vegas in December, but those points don't count toward his season total. Michael Jordan had 10 seasons with at least 3,000 points, Wilt Chamberlain had five and nine other players — Bob McAdoo, Elgin Baylor, James Harden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Rick Barry, Shaquille O'Neal and Doncic — have one. 4 Canada For the second consecutive year, there are four Canadians in the NBA Finals. Last year, it was Oshae Brissett for Boston and AJ Lawson, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dwight Powell for Dallas. This year, it's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort for Oklahoma City, along with Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard for Indiana. 'I played against Andrew when I was 9 years old,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'It's been an amazing journey. To see him having success, my own success, obviously Lu's success, Ben's success, it's special. It's hard to even wrap your head around. ... For us to make it to this stage, is a testament to our hard work, our character, people around us that helped us get here. It's been a blessing. It's been super fun.' Dort said he hopes Canadians enjoy seeing four of their own in the finals. 'Obviously we represent our teams here,' Dort said. 'But at the end of the day we represent our country as well.' And it's certain that Montreal will get a title: Dort and Mathurin are both from there. 'I think it's a great opportunity for me, Lu, the whole Montreal city,' Mathurin said. 'I think it's a great step in the right direction just to be able to go against each other. You know, Lu's a great friend of mine. I would call him brother right now, but we're enemies.' Finally, the finals, for James Johnson Indiana's James Johnson has been in the NBA for 16 seasons. He has played for 10 different franchises. He has played under 11 different coaches. He has finally made the NBA Finals. Johnson came close in 2019-20, starting the season with Miami — which wound up making the bubble finals that season. But Johnson was part of a three-team trade about a month before the pandemic hit and ended up in Minnesota. 'Getting here now means that I was fortunate enough to be on a team of guys that only want winning," Johnson said. "I was fortunate enough to join a team of guys that just want to win — and they want to win by any means necessary.' Where are the close games? The last time Indiana's Rick Carlisle coached in the NBA Finals, every game was basically decided at the end. All six games of the Dallas-Miami series in 2011 were decided by 10 points or less. Since then, those games are rare. Out of the last 73 NBA Finals games, starting with the 2012 Heat-Thunder matchup through last season's Boston-Dallas series, the average margin of victory has been 12.4 points per game. There hasn't been an instance of more than three consecutive single-digit finals winning margins in that stretch, and 45 of the 73 games have been decided by at least 10 points. And there have been only six games in the last 12 finals decided by three points or less — while 10 have been decided by 20 points or more. Record drought between overtimes There hasn't been an overtime game in the NBA Finals since Game 1 of the 2018 series between Golden State and Cleveland. The seven-year drought and counting without a finals overtime game is the longest in NBA history. There was a six-year stretch from 1984 through 1990 without an OT finals game, but never seven — until now. The division champion quirk If Oklahoma City wins the NBA title, it will mark the 13th time in the last 14 seasons that a division champion has wound up winning the finals. The only exception in that span was Golden State in 2022. Before that, the last team to not win their division but win the NBA title was Dallas in 2011 — coached by current Indiana coach Carlisle. Playoff pool totals The Thunder and Pacers are playing for the NBA championship, the Larry O'Brien Trophy and about $5 million. Technically, $5,002,359. That's what one team will get added to its share of the league's annual playoff pool by winning the NBA Finals this season. The total pool this year, which will be divided by the 16 playoff teams, is $34,665,698. The Thunder have already secured no worse than $7,418,145 from the pool. The Pacers have secured at least $6,160,260. The bonus pool is typically split in some way among players and staff from the playoff teams. ___ AP NBA: recommended
